Project Summary Developing a well-trained workforce interested in, and prepared for, conducting health equity research is an important national priority. The goal of the proposed Center for Health Equity Research (CHER) Institute at California State University, Long Beach is to provide educational experiences to enhance the readiness of early career faculty at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to conduct community-based, social and health behavior research to achieve health equity among racial and ethnic minority populations, and to increase the number of scientists from MSIs represented among National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded investigators. The CHER Institute will feature the following: (1) The CHER Institute Training Program, an in- person, six-day, intensive research training and mentoring experience for early career faculty on theory-based, culture-informed methods for effective community engagement in health equity research with the purpose of developing specific aims leading to a NIH research proposal, and (2) Single topic webinars held 4-6 times annually for interested faculty on theory-based, culture- informed methods for effective community engagement in health equity research. The CHER Institute Training Program will be held once per year for 15 faculty members who are interested in conducting health equity research targeting minority populations. Faculty at sister MSIs across the U.S. will be given priority, but interested faculty from other institutions may also apply. Outreach for the research webinars will be administered to MSI campuses nationwide using the CHER Institute Faculty who represent MSI campuses and their respective networks. The specific aims of the CHER Institute are to: Specific Aim 1: Increase the number of early career faculty members (with an emphasis on MSI faculty) who are better prepared to become NIH principal investigators in the field of community-based health equity research. Specific Aim 2: Increase the quantity and quality of health equity research targeting vulnerable ethnic minority populations developed by CHER Institute Training Program participants.